Biographie
In January 2011, Somaya Reece was highlighted as a "Female Emcee You Need To Know" by XXL magazine. With over 31 million views and more than 865,000 friends, Somaya Reece, the top Latina artist on MySpace, has established herself as a viral marketing sensation. Despite a challenging upbringing, Somaya built an impressive resume before launching her MySpace page. Raised in South Central Los Angeles within an immigrant Latino family, she grew up working alongside her mother as a maid. Determined not to become another statistic caught in gang life, jail, or violent incidents, Somaya chose to transform her life and pursue significant achievements.
This Salvadoran beauty from South Central was recently named the Hottest Latina in Music by Maxim en Español and was recognized among the "20 figuras latinas en boca de todos" (20 most talked-about Latin figures) and "Íconos de nuestra cultura" (Icons of today's culture) on MSN.com Latino.
Somaya Reece's current ventures include her own clothing line and store, as well as the leading fitness blog "A Realistic Approach To Fitness." She is also an original cast member of VH1's hit series "Love & Hip Hop," which attracts over 7 million weekly viewers. The show follows her journey as she moves from Los Angeles to New York City without any connections, striving to break into the entertainment industry while facing numerous challenges. Upon her arrival in New York, hip hop media quickly sought her out for interviews, and the buzz around her grew rapidly, catching the attention of major music television networks such as MTV and VH1. After meetings with Senior VP Jim Ackerman and Mona Scott Young at VH1, Somaya secured a reality TV show as the lead star on "Love & Hip Hop," documenting her quest to succeed in New York City's music scene against all odds.
Somaya Reece has proven to be more than a triple threat in mainstream media. A professionally trained actress under Aaron Speiser, known for coaching many A-list actors, Somaya’s diverse talents span acting and music. Starting with speaking roles in films and comedic commercials, she has steadily grown into a media mogul. Her DIY approach and innovative digital viral marketing strategy have garnered fans and media attention worldwide. Somaya has even broken into UK radio, amassing a large fan base. Her music has been warmly received by the industry, earning her comparisons to Missy Elliott with the humility of the late Selena. Beginning music at age 9, inspired by Celia Cruz to play violin, she excelled as lead singer in her school choir and has since declined three record deals. Her debut single "Mira Mi Pum Pum" achieved over 3.3 million spins in just ten and a half weeks, debuting on the "Latino Top 20 Countdown" with Nico Jones on Latino 96.3. Her follow-up club/dance single "Girls Night," produced by The Pharmacy, reached over 1 million spins within ten weeks. Somaya’s music has topped charts on Imeem and MySpace, ranking alongside artists like Jonas Brothers, Beyoncé, and Shakira. In 2009, her music crossed into the UK market, with her single "Ooh Baby Baby" receiving rotation on Liberty Radio and Choice FM. Her broad appeal has made her a staple on the UK red carpet and in media outlets like Wireimage and Getty Images.
As a recognized commercial figure, Somaya has appeared in major campaigns for Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Colgate, Pepsi, Budweiser, and Coors Light. Her rising profile attracted national TV attention, leading to an appearance on the Dr. Phil show, where he praised her music and positive example for young women. In 2008, she was nominated for "Internet Hottie" by Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards, named "Hottest Woman on the Web" by E! Television, and dubbed "The Latina Jessica Rabbit" by Telemundo.
As an actress, Somaya has appeared in films including American Psycho (2002), The Scorpion King (2002), Ride or Die (2003), Miss Cast Away (2004), GB2525 (2008), The Girl From The Naked Eye (2009), and Go For It (2009), as well as TV shows like Girlfriends on UPN and HBO's Entourage. She collaborates with Billboard-charting producers such as Richy Pena, Cito On The Beat, Scoop Deville (Snoop Dogg, Murs, Cypress Hill, Baby Bash), K Mack Soul Diggaz (Missy Elliott), 1500 or Nothin (Estelle, Game, T.I.), Nifty Trick, The Pharmacy (Taryn Manning, Britney Spears), and Qura Rankin AKA 007 Blaq (Christina Aguilera, Pink, Pussycat Dolls).
